138P/Shoemaker–Levy
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | |
| Discovery site | Palomar Observatory |
| Discovery date | 13 November 1991 |
| Designations | |
| P/1991 V2 P/1998 O1 | |
| Shoemaker–Levy 7 1991 XIX, 1991d1 | |
| Orbital characteristics[2][3] | |
| Epoch | 16 December 2008 (JD 2454816.5) |
| Observation arc | 33.84 years |
| Number of observations | 126 |
| Aphelion | 5.544 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.706 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.625 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.52941 |
| Orbital period | 6.91 a |
| Inclination | 10.079° |
| 309.44° | |
| Argument of periapsis | 95.558° |
| Mean anomaly | 177.91° |
| Last perihelion | 2 May 2019 |
| Next perihelion | 24 March 2026 |
| TJupiter | 2.830 |
| Earth MOID | 0.750 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.900 AU |
| Physical characteristics[2] | |
Mean radius | 0.8 km (0.50 mi)[4] |
| Comet total magnitude (M1) | 16.6 |
138P/Shoemaker–Levy, also known as Shoemaker–Levy 7, is a faint Jupiter-family comet with a 7-year orbit around the Sun. During its 2012 perihelion,[5] the comet brightened to about apparent magnitude 20.5.[6]
There were 4 recovery images of 138P on 8 August 2018 by Pan-STARRS when the comet had a magnitude of about 21.5.[3] The comet came to perihelion on 2 May 2019, and the next perihelion is 24 March 2026.[7]
References
- ^ C. S. Shoemaker; E. M. Shoemaker; D. H. Levy; et al. (18 November 1991). D. W. Green (ed.). "Comet Shoemaker–Levy (1991d1)". IAU Circular. 5389 (1). Bibcode:1991IAUC.5389....1S.
- ^ a b "138P/Shoemaker–Levy – JPL Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ a b "138P/Shoemaker–Levy Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
- ^ P. L. Lamy; I. Toth; Y. R. Fernández; H. A. Weaver (2004). "The Sizes, Shapes, Albedos, and Colors of Cometary Nuclei" (PDF). Comets II. University of Arizona Press. pp. 223–264. Bibcode:2004come.book..223L. doi:10.2307/j.ctv1v7zdq5.22. ISBN 978-0-8165-2450-1. JSTOR j.ctv1v7zdq5.22.
- ^ Syuichi Nakano (22 April 2009). "138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7 (NK 1768)". OAA Computing and Minor Planet Sections. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ Seiichi Yoshida (21 February 2012). "138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7 (2012)". Seiichi Yoshida's Comet Catalog. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
- ^ "138P/Shoemaker-Levy 7". www.aerith.net. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
External links
- 138P/Shoemaker–Levy at the JPL Small-Body Database
- 138P/Shoemaker–Levy at Seiichi Yoshida's website
- 138P/Shoemaker–Levy at Gary W. Kronk's Cometography